Category Archives: Reduce – Re-use – Recycle

B.E.S.T. was awarded a “most original” certificate a hand made ornament of a robin (made by Sue Halsall) and a fantastic hand knitted rosette by CARnival Bentham for Collette Austin’s carnival damselfly which was made entirely from re-used waste, (e.g. plastic bottles, tin foil, plastic bags etc.). Sorry for the delay in posting this up – it was a case of getting round to taking the photo!

Also B.E.S.T. Green Cafe at 8pm Looking Well Studios tomorrow night (Wednesday). Click the following link for more details: 2015 Local Plan

We’re discussing the Local and Neighbourhood Plans – which will have all sorts of implications for developments to be green – or not. It will be really good chance to get our heads around what they mean for us, how we can be involved, what we would like to see included.- so it would be great if you came along!

Please click the link below to see the latest draft of the plan before tomorrow night.

Collette has made this damsel fly which fits in with the Carnival’s “Tales of the Riverbank” theme and is a subtle comment on the unfortunate dumping of waste plastic in our local river (the Wenning). It is entirely made out of waste plastic. Many thanks to Kathleen Kelly, Peter Knowles and Rachel (sorry don’t know surname) for donating their waste plastic.

Please come along and support the Carnival tomorrow and you’ll be able to see this giant damsel-fly in the parade at 1.30pm (assemble in car park from 1.00pm if you’re part of the parade).

Thanks everyone for all your help – so many of us so willing that none of it felt like a chore, I think.

So much came in, so much went out. So many people happy!

At the end we had collected about £90 which I think nearly covers costs. Sue Ryder took a couple of boxes of knick knacks; Edward collected not very many books; a couple of cars went via Low Bentham for the next Institute fundraiser.

Linda and I took the rest over to Settle – and a good bit of that went to Age UK (for future ref, they loved the big ring files) so really very little ended up in the dump.

And a special bonus – on the way back we picked up a hitch hiker – who turned out to be the benighted cyclist who had cycled home on Bobs bike and was now on his way back to Bentham to repair and collect his own!

Hi everyone – March is a very exciting month for BEST and also for all Bentham folk with unwanted stuff cluttering up their house/garage/shed and also for people who like taking away free stuff and stopping it going to landfill!

Yes folks, it’s Give & Take time again! Please click the link below to download a poster with all the information. Tell all your friends and neighbours too:

And if that’s not enough excitement for you, the Tuesday immediately after the Give & Take weekend is our next Green Cafe with Coffee/Tea & CAKE plus a very interesting topic all about Hay Meadows. Click the link below to download the poster with all the information:

March in Bentham wouldn’t be complete without the BEST Give and Take Day. By 10 o’clock last Saturday the Town Hall upstairs was crammed with things no longer wanted but too good to send to landfill, and there was a queue of people outside waiting to see what they could take home. The doors opened, and after 90 minutes of what looked like chaos, the process was almost complete, and it just remained for us to dispose of the relatively small amount of stuff left at the end. Thank you to everyone who Gave and Took, and to those who donated cash to help us cover the costs of the room and hard-working electrician Iain. As one visitor said: “So many smiley faces, either because they were getting rid of something they didn’t want, or because they’d found something they did. Great.”

North Carolina-based artist Jonathan Brilliant constructed this, well, brilliant structure, The Sumter Piece, from 60,000 wooden coffee stirrers. Never mind that it’s quite beautiful and spans two floors, reaching over a second floor balcony and suspended from the ceiling of the first floor, we marvel at the fact that it’s held together by tension. “No adhesive was used and the entire structure holds itself in place because of the tensile strength of 7” rounded end wooden coffee stirrers. After nearly six months the piece eventually separated and the materials were donated to a local school.”